Leave No Soldier Behind
by Purplewater3
Summary: Gotten into a bit of a Tremors obsession so wrote a quick little sad/romantic story. Enjoy! Heather/Burt *one shot*


It was out of no where, first they were running with excitement after defeating the last Graboid, those retched giant worms that had been terrorizing their home town of perfection for months. When suddenly a shot was heard out of the distance, Heather let out a scream and crumpled to the ground. Burt whipped around to see his wife kneeling hunched over, clutching her side. His eyes widened with fear as they scanned the desert plain desperately searching for the culprit but they were nowhere to be found. Burt Gummer slowly knelt to the ground in shock reaching to hold his wounded wife in his arms. His eyes were wide as he stared down to the blood pouring out of her abdomen.

"Heather! Heather look at me." Burt demanded to his wife as he grabbed a bandana from his bag and placed it on her wound trying to staunch the blood "Heather please please look at me."

Heather Gummer wheezed in agony as her large blue eyes darted to her husband. They were miles away from civilization with no means of getting into contact with any help. Burt was a man that was prepared for anything but this moment was something he could never imagine. Burt couldn't recall a time in his life he had ever felt so helpless.

"Oh god." Burt breathed as more and more blood began to drown the cloth while staining his hand. "Don't worry! Its ok! Its ok I can save you."

"No." Heather panted "No its in the stomach, the worst place to be shot even in the best of places."

"No no!' Burts voice began to crack as a sickening panic began to rise within him. Desperately he grabbed whatever cloth he could find to stop the blood.

"Burt cut it out. Stop wasting…"

"I'm not wasting! How can I get you home if I don't stop the blood?"

"Burt."

"No! No I will get you home."

"Burt stop."

"You can rest all you want when we get there. We have everything we need home."

"Burt please."

"I can get you the medical help, don't worry about the money. I can even get Valentine to schmooze people for help! He owes me."

"Burt stop!"

"No I can get you home."

"You can't survive if you keep on trying to get me to survive."

"Im not leaving you."

"You have to."

"No don't worry."

"Aaahhh." Heather gasped as even more blood oozed out, the color leaving her face.

"Heather calm down! I will get you home just stay with me!"

"Uhhh" Heather moaned as she buried her face in her husband's chest, one hand clutched her stomach and the other griped onto Burt's shirt. Burt supported her head with his arm.

"Help! Help!" Burt looked around frantically desperate for anyone to hear him but he knew there was no way anyone would hear him let alone come. "Maybe I can get it out."

"Its in to deep."

"Then we have to get you home. Just breathe."

"Breathing wont help"

"No no." Burt looked around unsure of what to do as her gasps of pain burned holes into his heart; he looked down to see her. Red curls strayed around her doll like face as her skin began to pale even more from the blood loss, she would have been a breathtaking vision if it wasn't for the blood pooling on her side.

"The poisoning will get to me before we could get very far. Your best chance is to leave."

"No. You can make it home."

"Burt." Heather said softly as her voice weakened by the minute. She reached up lightly cupping her husbands face to get his attention. "Im not coming home with you. Not this time."

'No!" Burt whimpered as tears began to roll down his cheeks "No you can't go. Never leave a soldier behind remember."

"Burt you know its time."

"Please no."

"Its ok. Its ok. Its just time." Heather wiped away a few tears from her husband's cheek as her eyes began to glisten with tears of her own "No one will ever fight and love as hard as you Burt Gummer, I just love you so much."

"Don't talk like that."

"Shhhhhhh its just time."

"Please please don't go Heather please."

"Im so sorry. I never wanted it to end this way."

"Oh god no." Burt pulled her close as Heather gasped in agony

"Im sorry. Im sorry."

"Its ok, I want you close.'

"I love you. I know I'm a grump and not easy to deal with but you love me so well woman. You know how to care for me and I barely return the favor."

"You are a warrior. You will save this world when it falls apart, your job was never to be the caretaker."

"But I will take care of you."

"You take care of me." Heather gazed up at her husband as he gently stroked her red curls that began to stand out the more her skin gradually turned from pale white to a light shade of gray. "Take my canteen. Drink the water and get home. I know you hate her but call my mother and tell her I love her. Go into the basement and get a gun for everyone, those damn worms maybe gone for now but you never know what will come next with a vengeance. I want you to be prepared…you always have to be prepared." A weak smile crept upon her face "you taught me that."

"What about you?"

"Leave me here, bury me with the wild."

"No! You deserve…"

"Burt don't obsess with me."

"I can't help it."

"Fine bury me wherever helps you heal but move forward Burt, move forward and fight."

"Oh god not like this."

"I love you Burt. I would never want it to end like this."

"You're my world." Burt wept, the two fell quiet for a long period of time as the two just gazed at each other. Once in a while Heather would let out a moan or a sob as Burt held her close. Neither really knew what to do other then just gaze at eachother.

"Oh god."

"What."

"The cold." Heather breathed, those two words sent a shiver through his spine that wrapped an icy grip on his heart. This is it, the end of the woman he loves. All the strength she had left her in her voice had vanished to the point where she sounded like a terrified child.

"Burt the cold."

"I know."

"Don't leave…not just yet."

"I would never." Burt pressed her close to him half attempting to warm her and in some small attempt to keep her with him just a bit longer.

"Oh the cold"

"I love you."

"Don't let go."

"I love you."

"I love…" Heather small wheezes came closer together, she looked around panicked when suddenly something caught her attention; she gazed up off into the distance "oh…" she wheezed as her eyes landed back on Burt. "ki…ki…please…" She stumbled on her words as her small breathes refused for her to speak. Burt knew what she wanted as he leaned down and kissed her with a deep passion. He lifted his head just slightly looking down to her. Heather placed her hand on his chest just as she had done so many times before throughout their marriage and ever since the first time she expressed her love for him. Burt wanted to tell her how much he loved and adored her, how this world was nothing without his feisty partner, how she was the light in every situation, how every morning he could fly out of bed ready for her kisses, how no matter his mood she was always supportive of him, how she was the air he breathed. But nothing could come out of his mouth as he stared down at his gasping bride, nothing but eradicated sobs. It took a few moments for him to realize her breath was gone and her blue eyes usually sparkling with love was now replaced with a vacant stare. But it wasn't the stare that signaled to Burt she was gone it was his soul. Half of his soul evaporated into nothingness as it was replaced with a black pain. Burt doubled over as his sobs turned into screams as he cradled what was left of Heather Gummer. After a long period of time Burt had cried himself out, reaching over he took a swig from his wife's canteen as he prepared to carry out her last wishes.

"I love you baby." Burt murmured, as he lifted his wife's body gently into his arms, and continued his journey home.


End file.
